Alibaba’s $53B AI Push: New Dubai Data Center at GITEX 2025
▼ Summary
– Alibaba Cloud launched its second Dubai data center at GITEX GLOBAL 2025 to meet growing regional demand for cloud computing and AI services.
– This expansion is part of a $53 billion investment plan to enhance AI and cloud infrastructure over three years, improving cloud resilience and network performance.
– The company announced collaborations with multiple sectors, including finance and healthcare, to accelerate AI deployment using its advanced technologies like the Qwen model.
– Partnerships include Wio Bank for AI-powered banking agents and BYOND Asia for deploying hyper-realistic digital human solutions across global markets.
– Alibaba Cloud also expanded its reseller agreement with Atos to provide cloud and AI services to enterprise customers in the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Alibaba Cloud has significantly strengthened its regional footprint with the inauguration of a second data center in Dubai, announced during GITEX GLOBAL 2025. This expansion directly addresses the rapidly growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services among Middle Eastern enterprises. The move represents a major step forward since the company first established its presence in the area back in 2016. This development forms a key part of Alibaba’s broader strategy, backed by a substantial $53 billion investment dedicated to advancing AI and cloud infrastructure over the coming three years.
The new facility is designed to deliver a comprehensive suite of enhanced offerings. Its portfolio now includes advanced cloud-native and AI solutions, complemented by services in big data, database management, elastic computing, storage, and networking. The primary goal is to provide superior cloud resilience and network performance, which will ensure higher availability and robust disaster recovery capabilities for clients.
Eric Wan, Vice President of Alibaba Cloud International, emphasized the strategic importance of this launch. He noted that the Middle East’s favorable environment for accelerating AI adoption, combined with its collaborative ecosystem, provides a powerful foundation for both private and public sector growth. The company is committed to supporting local and international businesses by leveraging its powerful infrastructure and sophisticated AI technologies.
During the event, several major companies revealed new collaborations with Alibaba Cloud, spanning industries such as finance, healthcare, gaming, media, and internet services.
Wio Bank, a leading digital financial platform in the Middle East, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba Cloud. This partnership is set to drive innovation in cloud computing, AI, and fintech. By integrating Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen large language model, Platform for AI, and agentic platforms, Wio Bank aims to enhance its multi-cloud strategy and accelerate the implementation of generative AI. The collaboration will focus on creating AI-powered banking agents to streamline operations and improve customer service, all securely hosted within Alibaba Cloud’s Dubai data centers.
Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank PJSC, highlighted that AI is central to the bank’s future vision. He explained that scaling their capabilities with Alibaba Cloud’s technology will enable the development of intelligent agents that simplify processes and help customers achieve more in a secure digital environment.
BYOND Asia, an AI firm known for its hyper-realistic, real-time conversational digital humans, also entered into a memorandum of understanding. The company will use Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen model and Model Studio platform to enhance the intelligence and localization of its HoloMe avatars. Initial efforts will focus on creating Arabic-first digital humans tailored for Middle Eastern enterprises and public sector use.
The partnership includes migrating BYOND’s HoloMe cloud services to Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure to improve performance, scalability, and regional compliance. Both organizations will co-develop specialized digital avatar solutions for entertainment, retail, media, education, and public services. Joint go-to-market initiatives will leverage Alibaba Cloud’s partner network and marketplace to support BYOND’s global expansion.
Fred Chong, founder and group CEO of BYOND Asia, stated that the collaboration allows them to deliver Arabic-first digital humans on a global scale. He credited Alibaba Cloud’s AI infrastructure and international presence for enabling faster deployment, cost-effective scaling, and adherence to data regulations.
ACCUMED, the Middle East’s first end-to-end revenue cycle management provider for healthcare, has formed a comprehensive collaboration with Alibaba Cloud and its local partner, OneCloud. ACCUMED has migrated key workloads to Alibaba Cloud’s global infrastructure, utilizing elastic compute, advanced networking, and multi-region disaster recovery technologies. The company is also adopting Alibaba’s Qwen model to develop an AI agent for eClaims, medical coding, and customer support.
Future plans include listing ACCUMED’s solutions on the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace and pursuing joint marketing efforts to drive regional and global growth. Dr. Ayham Refaat, founder and CEO of ACCUMED Group, described the partnership as a pivotal moment that will bring unprecedented efficiency and innovation to healthcare operations.
The Game Company, an AI-enhanced cloud gaming platform, is collaborating with Alibaba Cloud to deliver a scalable, efficient gaming service. By leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s low-latency network, high-performance infrastructure, and global footprint, the platform can offer a console-quality gaming experience on any device without requiring high-end hardware. This supports The Game Company’s vision of developing a future Gaming-as-a-Service model.
Bilal Asghar, chief partnership officer and co-founder, emphasized that Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure and market presence enable faster scaling, reduced user friction, and accelerated innovation in AI, Web3, and esports.
Atos, a global digital transformation leader, has expanded its reseller partnership with Alibaba Cloud for the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. As a Reseller Partner, Atos will provide enterprise customers with Alibaba Cloud’s full range of cloud infrastructure, AI models, and advanced technologies. This is enhanced by Atos’s expertise in cloud migration, managed services, and industry-specific digital transformation, helping organizations accelerate their cloud adoption and innovation efforts.
Since entering the region in 2016, Alibaba Cloud has become a leading cloud services provider for both private companies and public institutions across the UAE and the wider Middle East. The company maintains a strong local ecosystem, serving clients in banking, financial services, insurance, media, and the public sector.
(Source: Economy Middle East)
